Individuals who use the pro-Palestinian slogan "From the River to the Sea" on social media may be denied German citizenship under the country's new citizenship law, the Federal Ministry of the Interior reported on Sunday.
Germany's citizenship law, which came into effect on June 27, has introduced stricter criteria that may disqualify applicants who engage in anti-Israel rhetoric, the ministry's statement said.
A key provision within the law pertains to Germany's historical responsibility for the crimes of the Nazi regime, with a focus on the "protection of Jewish life".
This clause specifies that anyone who violates Germany's legal commitment to protect Israel may be denied citizenship.
Pro-Palestine slogans, such as "From the River to the Sea," especially when paired with statements like "Palestine will be free" or "Israel, child murderer," are considered by German authorities to perpetuate antisemitic and anti-Israel rhetoric.
NDR reported that even liking, sharing, or commenting on such slogans via social media could serve as grounds for exclusion from citizenship.
"From the River to the Sea" has been a prominent chant in pro-Palestine demonstrations since the 1960s, symbolising demands for Palestinian rights across the historical boundaries of Palestine, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.
However, following the 7 October attacks, German authorities deemed the phrase a criminal offence, with Interior Minister Nancy Faeser labelling it a "Hamas slogan" in November of last year.
In June, when the citizenship law was enacted, it also mandated that applicants explicitly recognise Israel's right to exist.
The recent amendments have provoked anger among rights groups and activists, who view the measures as a clampdown on criticism of Israel, especially regarding its long-standing actions in Gaza.
Wieland Hoban, chairman of Jewish-led German anti-Zionist activist group Jüdische Stimme, told The New Arab that the conflation of pro-Palestinian slogans such as 'From the River to the Sea' as antisemitic was "one of the state's most dangerous weapons against the Palestinian cause".
He said that the law's enforcement was both "pro-Israel" and "anti-migrant" within its policymaking.
While supporting the right to fight anti-Jewish bias, Hoban warned that such a move was set to be typically connected to promoting a pro-Israel narrative.
He said the German government was willing to "even violate its own laws when it comes to freedom of speech or assembly".
Hoban recounted how such stipulations had previously impacted organisations like his, noting that Jüdische Stimme reported in March of this year that it had its bank account frozen in Germany for the second time in seven years.
The group said this action was prompted by its involvement in pro-Palestine advocacy.
"While Palestinians experience an additional racism that white Germans and Jews don't, the political repression extends to anyone who is active for the Palestinian cause, including our organisation," Hoban said.
"I could imagine us being banned at some point, though maybe the Jewish label gives us a slight advantage- but the bank incident showed that Germany doesn't mind evoking Nazi parallels, and Jewish identity has been tied so much to Israel both inside and outside the community that to supporters of Israel, we're hardly even Jews."
Hoban emphasised that the latest change in the country's citizenship law had signalled further an attempt to suppress dissenting voices on the Palestinian plight.
"It's merely one more step after a year of demonstration bans or restrictions, constant unjustified legal harassment and police brutality, as well as exclusion and cancelling," Hoban said.
"This authoritarianism, with its strong foundation of anti-Muslim and anti-migrant racism, also aligns with the general rightward trend in German society that is evident in the electoral successes of the [German far-right populist party] AfD."
The suspected crackdown on pro-Palestine support has been pronounced among artists, activists and academics, exacerbated by the resignation of junior minister Sabine Döring.
She stepped down after her ministry considered measures to defund academics who signed a public letter condemning police actions against pro-Palestine student protests, raising concerns about restrictions on free speech.
Meanwhile, the arrest and conviction of German-Iranian activist Ava Moayeri in August for chanting the slogan at a rally in Berlin drew further attention.
Germany, known for its staunch support of Israel, has faced accusations that its pro-Israel stance has overshadowed free speech, with some critics claiming that the government's position is driven by 'Staatsräson,' or reason of state, stemming from its historical responsibility for the Holocaust.